Pancetta

An Italianbacon, made from the layer of fat and flesh located along the belly of a pig, that is cured with salt, and often with other spices including pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Regular pancetta is not smoked, though there are varieties (called smoked pancettas, which are more or less regular bacon), that are. It is slightly salty, and very flavorful.

The curing is done while the meat is still attached to the skin. It is marinated and/or cured for about two weeks, then the meat is stripped from the skin, and stuffed into sausage casings. It's then hung and aged for four to six weeks, with a lot of attention paid to the air flow and humidity during this time.

I found this recipe for making pancetta, for anyone willing to give it a try...

Remove the skin from the belly and square off the meat. Divide the belly in two.

Roll each belly piece into a tight roll and place in the casing. Note: I found that slicing the casing along its length allowed me to get a "tight fit" when I roll up the pancetta. Tie the pancetta with sausage twine around the circumference every 1/2 inch or so to make a neat firm log.